Toys for Tots 2013 Community Event brings in over 19K toys

You did it again. Thank you so much to everyone in the Mansfield ISD community who donated toys and/or came out on Wednesday, December 11 to The Center for the DFW Toys for Tots drop-off event with FOX 4.

We had another huge crowd of parents, students, staff, and people throughout the community who came by to support this effort. FOX 4 personnel and DFW Toys for Tots organizers were once again impressed with the magnitude of our toy drive and community event.

Our 2nd Annual community-wide event at The Center was held on Wednesday, December 11, from 5:00-10:30 p.m. Starting the event was a Parade, followed by free Santa photos, a pair of real reindeer to pet, indoor crafts, inflatable bounce activity, music, hot cocoa, onstage student performances inside and out, food trucks, and much more. The district exceeded our toy collection from last year; early estimates indicate that over 19,300 toys were collected this year and over $8,000 for DFW Toys for Tots!

 

Special thanks go out to the Mansfield Police Department, high school mascots, Mansfield High School Drill Team, Summit High School Band, James Coble Middle School Cheerleaders, Legacy High School Drill Team, Mansfield Fire Department, Peter Ponce, MISD Fine Arts, MISD Police, MISD Athletics SAMS Club in Mansfield, Top of Texas Photography, Mansfield Mayor, David Cook, Savvy’s Bistro, MISD volunteers, Huckabee, Inc., Ben Barber Career Tech Academy Auto Tech, BCB Transport in Mansfield, Lone Star Irrigation Association, Shepard Intermediate assistant principal, Josh Roberts, MISD Warehouse crew, Texas Trust Credit Union, Home Depot, Mansfield Methodist Medical Center, Starbucks, Frost Bank, Two Men and a Truck, Mattress cleaning dudes, , Sports Clips, and all MISD schools and departments for promoting and participating at the event.

Superintendent Update - December 2013

Watch the December Superintendent Update on YouTube:

Dr. V discusses the latest on the December 11 2013 MISD Toys For Tots community event, holiday concerts and events throughout the district in addition to winter weather notification procedures.

Winter Weather Transportation and School-closing Decisions

What happens in Mansfield ISD when temperatures drop and our area has inclement winter weather?

I checked with our leadership team and the Transportation department to help explain some of the procedures, considerations, and decision-making during winter weather events. Here is what I found out:

1. At or before 4:00 a.m. a decision is made to deploy the Transportation weather team staff.
2. Before 4:30 a.m.., the weather team visually inspects various areas across the district of streets for icy, wet, or dry roads along with monitoring the weather information channels.
3. The weather team contacts the Director of Transportation with their road information.
4. Road conditions are analyzed along with other related information available from other school districts.
5. If roads are questionable, the Superintendent is contacted after 4:30 a.m. (but before 5:00 a.m.) to discuss findings and recommendations.
6. The Superintendent makes a decision by 5:00 a.m. whether or not to close schools.
7. We use our standard communication channels if any changes to the district schedule require adjustment including the District homepage, weather info webpage, our phone and e-mail notification system, DFW radio and TV news outlets, and via the district's Twitter profile, @mansfieldisd.

Other considerations and notable information

• Many area school districts' transportation directors have a local phone network so they can stay in communication and provide insight to what is happening road-wise with each other.

• How does weather forecasting play a part in the decision-making process? While the weather team reports actual conditions, what is expected to happen weather-wise is just as important to the decision process.

• What about early dismissals? If winter weather conditions worsen during the school day, we determine if an early release is needed to get the students home sooner and bus drivers back to the bus barn safely prior to darkness. We try to make that decision prior to 10:00 a.m. in order to adequately coordinate the dismissal process. As soon as it is determined to dismiss early, the dismissal times for each grade level will be posted immediately on the District's website.
• How many different bus routes run every day? Each of our MISD buses run three or four schools. We run 165 buses, including Special Needs, but with three bell schedules, that is approximately 660 individual bus trips each morning and then again each afternoon.

We hope this helps provide a little insight into this process.

Transportation Teams up for Food Drive

From Assistant Director of Transportation, Brian Merchant:

I wanted to take a moment and share something that has been truly wonderful here at the Transportation Department. This year, Mr. Scott Shafer [Director of Operations] introduced several new team concepts to our employees here that has been very beneficial to our morale, and co-worker relationships. We have two locations where we have six Route Specialists at 6th Avenue, and six Route Specialists at Main St. All of the full-time drivers and attendants have been placed on these 12 teams and divided up into to 12 different colors that are apparent by the lanyards they wear each day.

This month the team challenge was a canned food drive where the winning team would win a trophy to proudly display where the winning team is located.

The drive ended this week and the teams from 6th Avenue and Main Street donated a combined 4,300 items for First Methodist Mansfield 's Wesley Mission Center food pantry. 

I wanted to share this with you because the generosity of our teams has truly been a blessing to everyone here and to the recipients they will never meet.

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Editor's Note: There are food drives going on across the school district. Please check with your school for details on how you can support our local food pantries.
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T.A. Howard Middle School and Cross Timbers Intermediate School Stuff the Bus Food Drive benefiting Harvesting International Ministry Center.
 

Preparing for a new custom mobile app

We're working on an all-new custom mobile app. Our goal is to provide a convenient source for district and school information, delivered directly to the fingertips of parents, students, staff and community. Once it's launched, the new mobile app will be free and available for download on Android and Apple devices.

Back in August, 2011 we launched an iPhone app that at the time was a pretty useful tool but it had some limitations. One of the main issues for us was that we lacked a version for our Android device users. There were also some other technical challenges that we faced and now that old app version has sat dormant with limited updates for some time. Fast forward to today, we're working with a new developer and are excited to launch a new mobile app very soon. But first, we need some feedback.

As we prepare for the development phase, we want to hear from you. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts on what you think should be included in our new mobile app using this brief online survey: Take the Mansfield ISD mobile app survey

Low Intermediate School Raises Diabetes Awareness

Students and staff were asked to wear white as a
sign of support for diabetes awareness

November 14, is World Diabetes Day. Asa Low Intermediate conducted a special day-long awareness program for the students and staff to demonstrate the statistical realities of the number of people diagnosed with diabetes. November 2013 as National Diabetes Month.

What is Diabetes?
There are two different types. Type 1 is a rare form in which the body is unable to make the hormone insulin. Insulin is used to convert sugar or glucose into fuel for the body. People with Type 1 must take injections or use an insulin pump to control their diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95% of all diabetes diagnosis. Type 2 occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or the cells are unable to use insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes is treated with healthy meal choices, losing excess weight, exercise, oral medications and/or insulin injections. A third type, gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and can increase both the mother and baby's chances of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Brandie McCormic lead the charge at Asa Low Intermediate to host a Mock Diabetes Diagnosis Day. Worldwide, 8% of the population has diabetes. The school demonstrated that statistic today by pretending to "diagnose" 8% of the combined staff and students at Asa Low equaling 76 people by providing a white wristband to indicate a diagnosis.

 Through the activity, 71 people were be assigned with the more common Type 2 diabetes and five were designated with the rare form of Type 1 diabetes.

The administrators and staff selected this activity to raise diabetes awareness and help prevent, treat, and manage the disease particularly the alarming increasing development of TYPE 2 diabetes.While today 1 in 13 are being diagnosed, studies indicate that if current trends continue, that 1 out of every 3 people born in 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes.

What can we do?
Studies have also shown that reducing high sugar foods such as colas and candy, leading an active life, shedding excess weight, can reduce or forestall the development of Type 2 diabetes by 58%. 

A poster was provided in the cafeteria for students to staff who chose to could list people
that they knew who live with diabetes as a reminder about the importance of prevention

Did you know...

• Worldwide, 382 million people have diabetes in 2013; by 2035 this will rise to 592 million
• The number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing in every country
• 80% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries
• The greatest number of people with diabetes are between 40 and 59 years of age.

Asa Low Intermediate School principal, Jason Short at left
with the diabetes activity inspiration, Brandie McCormic 

Related: 
International Diabetes Federation, Diabetes Atlas
Presidential Proclamation -- National Diabetes Month, 2013

Bikes for Angels 2013 Campaign

The Automotive Technology Department at Mansfield ISD’s Ben Barber Career Tech Academy is kicking off their school fundraiser for the 2013 Bikes for Angels Fund.

From Rick Curlee, Auto Tech Teacher at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy:

We dedicate our Bikes for Angels fundraiser to Mr. Jerry Bellows. We lost Mr. Bellows in January 2013 to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Mr. Bellows was very instrumental in our Bikes for Angels Program. Since starting in 2007, our students have raised over $102,000 to purchase 2,416 bicycles for Angel tree children at our Intermediate and Elementary schools in Mansfield and surrounding areas. We have also donated bikes to other community organizations such as the Common Ground Network in Mansfield and Bethlehem Baptist Church as well as the Family Crisis Center and Operation Blessing.

It means so much for the instructors and students who put time, energy, heart and soul into this program to see the Counselors, Principals, Teachers and some of the recipients with tears of joy in their eyes.

We are starting this new school year with the main goal of trying to buy at least 700 bicycles this year for needy children who would otherwise not get bikes for Christmas. We have had students bringing in everything from plastic bags full of change to one student who actually turned over his weekly paycheck to help these children in the past. We've also had many students who had been on Angel Trees when they were younger themselves so thankful for the opportunity to give back to their community.

We ask that you consider helping us again this year to meet our goal by making a donation of any kind. Some examples are listed below:

• Cars, running or not, and in any shape (Cars must have title)
• Scrap metal
• Checks, cash, even your spare change is accepted 
• It all adds up to bicycles!

Students will visit classrooms, businesses, and their immediate communities trying to raise funds. We also welcome sponsorship for our cause.

If you'd like to donate by check, please make it out to: Bikes for Angels.
Contact Mr. Rick Curlee at MISD Ben Barber Career Tech Academy for receipt of donation or other additional information.
Email: rickcurlee@misdmail.org
Phone: 817-299-1939
Note: All monies raised will go to bicycles. There are no administrative costs. 

Check out some photos from the 2013 Bike for Angels Campaign!

Superintendent Update - November 2013

Watch Dr. V's November Superintendent Update on YouTube:

Dr. V shares the latest on the MISD Staff Clinic, DSO On The Go concert, the upcoming College and Career Night event and the District's involvement with Restore West ISD efforts.

Senior Art Shows at The Center

The MISD Fine Arts Department established a new visual arts show opportunity for advanced art students last year. Senior Art Shows for our Advanced Visual Art Students are scheduled at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts.

These shows give senior art students an opportunity to have a larger art show in addition to the District's Annual Art shows held in the spring.

The Senior Art shows typically run one to two weeks in duration and feature artwork from two to four students.

Here is the full 2013-14 schedule of Senior Art Shows at The Center (current show):

November 11-22 – Cross-District Senior Show

December 8-20 – Timberview High School

January 13-24 – Summit High School

Jan 27-Feb 7 – Legacy High School
February 10-21 – Mansfield High School

February 24-March 7– Summit High School

March 17-28 – Mansfield High School

Mar 31-April 4 – District Secondary Art Show

April 7-18 – Timberview High School

April 28-May 2 – District Elementary Art Show

May 5-16 – Lake Ridge High School

May 19-30 – Legacy High School

The Center is located at 1110 W Debbie Lane, Mansfield, Texas 76063.
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Fine Arts Senior Art Shows update: 

Marching Band Results, Ratings, and Tweets

November 6 Update:

Congratulations @lakeridgeband for placing 10th in Conf. 4A Finals #UILState Marching Contest: http://t.co/jbEc92f5e7 cc @LakeRidgeEagles
— Mansfield ISD (@mansfieldisd) November 6, 2013

Congratulations, marching band students, directors, and supporters! All five Mansfield ISD high school bands made a first division rating at the Region marching contest last week.

All three of our 4A bands (Summit, Legacy and Lake Ridge) advanced out of the preliminary phase of competition at the Area contest this past Saturday.

Mansfield Lake Ridge High School advanced to the 4A state marching contest that will take place in San Antonio on Tuesday, November 5. Lake Ridge HS has been open for only two years and this is the first year the band was eligible to compete and continue on to the next level.

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Update: Lake Ridge High School Marching Band presents State Marching Contest send-off show, 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 3 at Newsom Stadium

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/26/5280291/24-area-bands-march-for-a-chance.html#storylink=cpy

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's coverage: 24 area bands march for a chance to make it to the state finals:

"The Lake Ridge High School marching band performed songs like Muse’s Madness while engaging in a pretend battle as part of its performance for the UIL State Marching Band area finals...What drum major Nick Clark, 16, didn’t know halfway through the day was that his Lake Ridge band members had won first place in the preliminary competition. The bands, with color guard members helping amp up performances, were ranked in the finals for music and marching skills."

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/26/5280291/24-area-bands-march-for-a-chance.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/26/5280291/24-area-bands-march-for-a-chance.html#storylink=cpy

The following are the tweets from the newest Mansfield ISD Twitter profile, @MISD_FineArts:

Lake Ridge HS invaded the Area prelims. Another band behind me said they were "Legit!" And wanted to see it again. pic.twitter.com/ie2w6s0WFQ
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 26, 2013

Summit HS was superb at the Area marching prelims!! Wow!! So great!! pic.twitter.com/qhoytxfahV
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 26, 2013

Legacy HS band was outstanding at the preliminary Area Marching contest. Powerful performance!! pic.twitter.com/nJHpwleB4i
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 26, 2013

Timberview HS made the audience howl. They did an awesome job!! pic.twitter.com/VVjxqKaCph
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 23, 2013

Mansfield HS earned their stripes tonight with a division I rating at Regional Marching Band competition. pic.twitter.com/wRc337gEWF
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 23, 2013

Legacy HS band wowed them at Region Marching Band competition!! pic.twitter.com/LXVj8CxrPl
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 22, 2013

Lake Ridge HS band was out of this world at Region Marching Band competition!!! pic.twitter.com/pCojQuVW8l
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 22, 2013

Great job Summit HS Band at Region marching competition!! pic.twitter.com/UvJRupmA7C
— MISD Fine Arts (@MISD_FineArts) October 22, 2013

Superintendent Update - October 2013

Watch the Superintendent Update - October 2013 on YouTube:

MISD Superintendent, Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, discusses the upcoming October Parent/Teacher Conference dates, another DSO on the Go event at The Center (November 10) benefiting the MISD Education Foundation, and the JROTC competition (October 5) that will take place at Newsom Stadium.

Mansfield golfer heads to Pebble Beach Tourney

Nicholas Narcisse, a junior at Mansfield High School, is among four local teens to compete in the 2013 Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, an official Champions Tour event September 27-29, and televised internationally on Golf Channel. The teens are being sent by First Tee of Fort Worth.

Each participant will be teamed a Champions Tour player and an amateur on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course on Friday and Saturday. The final round will be played on Pebble Beach on Sunday, where the Champions Tour winner will be crowned and the top 23 pro-junior teams will compete for their own championship. Narcisse was also selected to participate in the Coca Cola Champions Challenge on Thursday, September 26 where he was be paired with a Champions Tour Pro and competed for a chance at a $40,000 purse for The First Tee of Fort Worth.

Narcisse got his first tournament win in 2012 at the Pro Duffers Charity Golf Tournament but has four second place finishes and one third place finish. Narcisse currently plays with a 0.8 handicap as he works on continually improving his game. Narcisse is a member of the Junior Advisory Board and has attended The First Tee National Life Skills and Leadership Academy, and the National Advanced Academy. Narcisse is an active volunteer in his church and also had the privilege of playing in a foursome with golf great Lee Trevino a couple of years ago.

About The First Tee of Fort Worth
The First Tee of Fort Worth is the Fort Worth chapter of The First Tee program and is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.

Timberview seniors selected for 2014 Army All-American Bowl

Congratulations to seniors Ed Paris and Brandon Simmons, Timberview High School varsity football defensive backs, for being selected for the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. This prestigious bowl game takes place at the San Antonio Alamodome on January 4 and will be televised on NBC. Only 90 players from across the U.S. are selected each year.

On Thursday, September 26, Paris and Simmons received their jerseys during a special afternoon ceremony at the campus.

(Read related article in the Mansfield News-Mirror.)

October Parent-Teacher Conferences

In early October, Mansfield ISD parents will once again have an opportunity to meet with their student's teachers during the district wide conference times. Campuses have set aside time to invite parents to the school to discuss how things are going this year in the classroom. Please check with your school(s) for specific conference schedule times.

• Thursday, October 10 - Evening conference times available after regular school day.
• Friday, October 11 - Student Holiday & Parent/Teacher Conference opportunity times in the morning. (Teachers are off in the afternoon.) 
• Visit the MISD Calendars page for these and other important dates.
• Download a printable 2013-14 Calendar (PDF).

The Why Behind The What
This marks the third year in a row we've offered dates at all schools for Parent/Teacher Conferences. It's our hope that parents will carve out time from what we know are busy schedules to meet with teachers. We believe that parent involvement is an important component in our mission to ensure educational and personal success by fostering a community built on mutual support and excellence.

Australian Principal of the Year Tours Mansfield High School

Mansfield High School hosted the 2012 Australian Secondary Principal of the Year, Mrs. Shayne Player, on Wednesday, September 18. Mrs. Player is the Principal of the Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, Tumbi Umbi Campus. While the school name may sound confusing, in Australia, the schools are called colleges. Mrs. Player’s campus is similar in student level to our middle schools.

As a prize for being named the Australian Secondary Principal of the Year, Mrs. Player was granted time for a trip around the world for a Professional Learning Sabbatical to visit schools in order to study common principles in high-performing schools. By the time she completes her trip, she will have visited schools in Finland, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and many more.

She is particularly interested in seeing AVID schools that integrate technology. (Her campus is an AVID school, and they are exploring computers on a 1:1 basis with their students similar to our iPad program for high schools.) Since she was interested in seeing a school integrate technology with AVID, she toured a few Mansfield High School classes to see instructional integration of the iPads and learn of some of the experiences we have gained in implementing new technology.

While she was at our campus, she observed classes and spoke very highly of the kinds of things offered to our students. Before she left the school, she shared some thoughts on her visit to the campus and what she's learned on her trip to this and other countries.Watch her interview on YouTube:

 

Read more about Mrs. Shayne Player. Watch a video her campus made about AVID. 

A Message from Dr. Vaszauskas

The following was shared with MISD staff on Friday, August 30, 2013.

Dear Colleagues,

On August 12, I had a surgical procedure to remove a mass located under my ribs. We were fortunate to have caught this growth in its early stages, and my wonderful surgeon was able to remove everything but microscopic traces of the growth.

The mass, called a thymoma, is very rare. Thymomas are very slow growing, tend not to spread and respond very well to treatment, so the long-term prognosis is very good. If you are curious, you can learn more about thymomas at this link.

To give myself the best chance of never having to deal with this again, I am choosing to undergo a six-week course of radiation treatment that should begin sometime during the week of September 10. I may need to miss some work during this time.

We have a wonderful leadership team in MISD, and they have done an exemplary job running the district while I have been out for surgery. Business will continue as usual. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with our outstanding Board of Trustees in service to this district. They have been very supportive during this time and have full confidence in our leadership team.

If you have a problem, a concern, or need assistance, follow our normal procedures. When I am out of the district, Karen Wentworth, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, will serve as the acting superintendent.

Thank you for what you do for the students of Mansfield ISD.

Dr. Jim Vaszauskas
Superintendent, Mansfield ISD

Teachers take school beautification needs into their own hands

Three teachers at the Alternative Education Center took it upon themselves to spruce up an area of their campus to provide a more appealing and inviting area. Science teachers Mr. Shannon Helm and Mrs. Sally McClure along vocational electives and economics teacher, Duston Moore thought a spot in the foyer was in need of some beautification. So they literally took matters into their own hands. They bought mulch and plants and then spent a few hours planting and trimming in the area to make sure it was ready for school. The result is a more appealing section of the school.

"They did this on their own time and with their personal money," said Raymond Cook, social studies department head. "As you can see, it is a great improvement and we were ready to greet our students with pride."

Before

 After

Thanks and kudos to these teachers for going above and beyond their duties for students.

Staff kicked the year off with Convocation

On Wednesday, August 21, the entire Mansfield ISD staff gathered for the annual Convocation event to kick off the school year. Convocation is our pre-back-to-school event when we get a chance to bring all the employees together in what we hope is a fun, festive and motivating experience. This year, we tried something a little different and asked one of our assistant principals, Josh Roberts, to be our host. (In addition to serving as a veteran educator, Josh is also no stranger to the stage as one of the members of Four Day Weekend improv comedy troupe in Ft. Worth.)

Our keynote speaker was Mr. Flip Flippen from The Flippen Group and he gave an inspirational message of encouragement and support through stories. Flip is Chairman of the Flippen Group, a respected leadership development and talent assessment company and the largest educator training company in North America. (Mr. Flippen also laid the groundwork for the Teen Leadership teacher certification program and classes that are offered at all MISD high schools.)

Check out the photo gallery from the 2013 Convocation:

 

A special thank you to the cadets from Legacy High School Junior ROTC for the presentation of colors and to our MISD staff singers who performed the National Anthem:

• Adam Zrust, Legacy, Director of Choirs
• Keli Ferrier, Summit, Director of Choirs
• Reginal Wright, Mansfield, Director of Choirs
• Jane Andrews, Mansfield, Associate Director of Choirs
• Josi Alexander, Timberview, Director of Choirs
• Philip Glenn, Lake Ridge, Director of Choirs 

On top of the fun atmosphere, funny host, and motivational speaker, staff heard from the new Superintendent, Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, School Board President, Mrs. Beth Light, as well as Education Foundation Board President, Mr. Mike Leasor.

The following videos were also shown during the event:

God Made a Teacher

What Makes a Great Teacher?

Superintendent Update - August 2013

New Mansfield ISD Superintendent, Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, discusses the latest on district preparations to welcome returning students, new school construction, the new semester exam pilot program at Lake Ridge High School and an update on the budget.

Watch the August Superintendent Update:

Photo Galleries:

• Tarver-Rendon Elementary Construction 
• Judy K. Miller Elementary Construction
• J.L. Boren Elementary Demolition

As a reminder, the new Judy K. Miller Elementary is the temporary staging campus for J.L. Boren Elementary starting in the 2013-14 school year. Read more: bit.ly/MISDBigMove

Ben Barber's @TheShineRunners on cross-country #SolarCar Race

Made it to Seminole! #2013solar #solarcarchallenge. Great job @tdavis350!! pic.twitter.com/wgI73PCUpm
— Shine Runners (@TheShineRunners) July 24, 2013

The Shine Runners are on the road on their cross-country solar car race.

You can follow the solar car team from Ben Barber Career Tech Academy on Twitter (@TheShineRunners) and Facebook as they embark on the eight day, 884 mile race from Texas to L.A. for the 20th Annual Solar Car Challenge.

The Shine Runners are among the 14 teams competing in the 2013 Solar Car Challenge.

Track the Shine Runners Solar Car during the race.

Check out the CBS Ch 11 coverage from Texas Motor Speedway as the solar car team prepares for the race - Mansfield Teens Set For Solar Car Race
The Solar Car Challenge was established in 1993 to help motivate students in science and engineering, and to increase alternative energy awareness. The Challenge teaches high school students around the world how to build roadworthy solar cars.

Media coverage from the road:

• Solar Powered Race Cars Make a Pit Stop in Breckenridge, Inspire Younger Spectators (KRBC-TV, Abilene)

Grads Make Radio Gold and Take National Title

Sammy Gonzalez, Ryan Tuomey (Media Tech Teacher at BBCTA), and Gabriel Kunda show off championship medals

Congratulations to Sammy Gonzalez and Gabriel Kunda for winning gold in the Audio/Radio category at the 2013 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. The conference was held June 24-28 in Kansas City, MO. The 49th annual SkillsUSA NLSC is a showcase of career and technical education students.

Representing Ben Barber Career Tech Academy's media tech program, Sammy and Gabriel competed and won gold in the Audio/Radio. Listen to their winning entry. Kunda and Gonzalez are both recent Summit High School graduates.

"I couldn't be more proud of my guys," said Ryan Tuomey, media tech teacher at Ben Barber. "I didn't think I would get emotional, but seeing their face and how happy they were when their name was called, reinforced why I became a teacher. They have worked so hard, stayed focused, and their dedication is what brought them success. I took a line from Friday Night Lights, 'Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose' and that became our motto throughout the competition. These are two great young men and I am honored to be their mentor. They will go on to do great things one day."

Gabriel Kunda will attend Dallas Baptist University and plans to major in music and minor in communications. Sammy Gonzalez plans to attend the MediaTech Institute in Dallas for a year, and then on to Full Sail University in Florida.

Check out the video, produced by Ryan Tuomey, documenting the SkillsUSA trip and gold medal win:  
Skills USA 2013 National Championship from 2me Productions on Vimeo.

Congratulations to Sammy & Gabe from @999thewild, 2013 #SkillsUSA Audio/Radio production Nat'l Champs! winning entry: http://t.co/50WVFmQ025
— Mansfield ISD (@mansfieldisd) July 1, 2013

Students Explore Career Tech Courses at Discovery Camp

Students study footprints in CSI Class

When you think about summer camp, you might imagine hiking, canoeing, and a campfire sing-along to “Kumbaya,” but for those who have experienced Rising Stars Discovery camp, the mental picture includes crime scene investigation, a culinary competition, video game design, and much more.

The unique program is designed to give incoming 6th – 8th graders a closer look at some of the courses offered at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy. Over 130 students from across the district attended the camp, which took place June 17 – 27.

The available classes for this year were: Crime Scene Investigation, Culinary Arts, Greek Mythology, Health Sciences, Engineering, and Video Game Design (offerings tend to vary each year, depending on the availability of instructors).

Camp Director, E.B. Holschuh, says the camp aims to expand the minds of students as well as their parents.

“This program plants a seed in their minds and shows them the possibilities beyond traditional high school curriculum,” said Holschuh. “We’ve got an amazing facility here, and we are doing some really cool things.”

On the final day of camp, students were excited to show their parents what they learned at “show off” day. We even heard some students making plans for the 2014 camp.

“In video game design class we learned how to write code, make game characters, and a ton of other fun stuff!” said Wilson Trimble, a soon-to-be 7th grader at T.A. Howard Middle School. “It was a great experience and I hope to get to do it again next year.”

Hats off to Mr. Holschuh and the dedicated staff at BBCTA, on another successful year. Great job!

To learn more about Shining Stars Discovery Camp or Ben Barber Career Tech Academy, please contact the campus at 817.299.1900 or bbsummercamp@misdmail.org.

Summer Science Camp Draws 300

What do you get when you mix dirt, water, and plastic animal figurines?

For the students attending MISD Science Camp, the answer is a lesson in water conservation in a simulated ecosystem!

The second annual MISD Science Camp is being held at Mary Jo Sheppard this week. Enrollment tripled in size from last year, reaching a total of 300 students, ranging from kindergarten to 4th grade. 

The camp is taught by a group of 30 Gifted/Talented Specialists from across the district, who worked together to create engaging and hands-on curriculum.

The focus of this year’s camp is the importance of water conservation and the concept of “going blue.” Over the course of the week, students complete 10 activities, including:

• Properties of Water (Surface Tension)
• Make Your Own Cloud and Rain
• Watch the Clouds Grow - Cloud Investigator
• Make a Rain Stick
• Build a Dam
• Hydroelectric Energy - Water Wheel
• Model Rivers/Lakes - Build a Watershed (See how pollution spreads)
• Water on a String
• Product Design (Create and test water-based products)
• Create a Conservation of Water Presentation

We asked some students to tell us something they learned at camp:

"It's really important to save water. Every living thing needs it." - Mia, 3rd Grade

"I've learned the different uses for a dam. At first, I thought it was for blocking water, but now I know it can be used for energy and electricity." - Aydan, 3rd Grade

"My favorite thing at science camp is painting because you get to make the paint! We made purple, orange, yellow, green, blue, and dark pink." - Elyssa, Kindergarten

The camp concludes Friday, June 21 at 2:00 p.m. with a spectacular student showcase in the cafeteria at Sheppard Elementary. Parents and friends are welcome!

We made a cloud yesterday - something my kiddo learned at @mansfieldisd Science Camp! #STEM pic.twitter.com/kpUCgZjg8u
— carrollburney (@carrollburney) June 20, 2013

Thank you to the 2013 MISD Science Camp Staff: Lacye Redmond (Camp Administrator), April Morrison (Camp Secretary), Angela England, Brooke Bryan, Sara Mata, Melanie Jefferis, Diane Nelson, Karen Mullins, Jennifer Burke, Terri Burris, Shari Bingham, Bianca Gholston, Joelene Prust, Lauren Longoria, Kate Walker, Athena Johnson, Carol McKenna, Natalie Toomey, Amy Krueger, Dwayne Wyatt, Amanda Ekeland, Chelsea Polasek, Kassi Mehler, Joanna Baylis, Kathy Neal, Rob Austin, Beth Hughes, Afua Konadu, Kristen Johnson, Stefanie Slack, Amanda Wells, Michelle Gery.

Superintendent Update - June 2013

Dr. Jim Vaszauskas shares the latest on The Big Move involving three elementary campuses that will start school in new locations next year, last week's summer curriculum conference, a legislative update, the recent high school graduations in the MISD Center for the Performing Arts in this month's Superintendent Update video:

More information on The Big Move: A 2011 bond election was called and approved to completely rebuild the following schools to provide equity across the district.

• Tarver-Rendon Elementary
• J.L. Boren Elementary
• Alice Ponder Elementary
• Glenn Harmon Elementary
• Charlotte Anderson Elementary

Summer 2013

• Tarver-Rendon Elementary students and staff will move into their new building located at 6065 Retta Mansfield Road, Burleson, TX 76028.
• Alice Ponder Elementary students and staff will move into the old Tarver-Rendon building while their new facility is being demolished and rebuilt.
• J.L. Boren Elementary students and staff will move into Judy K. Miller Elementary (403 N. Holland Road, Mansfield, TX 76063) while their new facility is being demolished and rebuilt.